Treasury Disowns Corrupt Manduku In Sh2.7 Billion Case

Ukir Yattani led National Treasury has said the expenditure was made without its authorisation leaving the corrupt KPA Boss Daniel Manduku on the frying pan in the fraudulent tenders worth Sh2.7 billion.

In a letter dated November 22, 2019, the Treasury says the money was spent before approval of the supplementary budget.

“The Cabinet secretary Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure was to grant approval for the request and subsequently seek the concurrence of the National Treasury … there was no prior approval for Kenya Ports Authority management to procure … before approval of supplementary budget 2018/19 FY,” Principal Secretary Julius Muia says in the letter.

The said tenders are under investigation by Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti and DPP. 

In a case that will be heard later on today,  Tuesday 3rd, KPA Managing Director Daniel Manduku has moved to the High Court seeking anticipatory bail. Manduku also wants the court to dismiss DCI probe terming them as unlawful and illegal.

Manduku says that DCI has overstepped its mandate by investigating matters that should be investigated by EACC and wants the court to stop the DPP from bringing charges against him based on an investigative report and recommendations by the DCI. Justice Erick Ogola of the High Court in Mombasa will rule on the matter today.

The KPA officials had in a letter dated January 30, 2019 sought the approval of Treasury to shift Sh2.5 billion of the Sh3 billion previously set aside for buying a piece of land at the Inland Container Depot in Nairobi and use Sh500 million to concrete the Makongeni yard and Sh2 billion for dredging the port.

Dr Muia said that the budget was subjected to rationalisation and a recommendation for approval was only given on September 24, 2019. By this time, Dr Manduku had already awarded the tenders and paid for the Makongeni works. This was done without knowledge of the Treasury.

Audit records indicated that nine contractors were given the tender. The tender was split in smaller portions to duck legal requirements for tendering for capital projects. The corrupt Maduku—who has links with DP Ruto awarded  his crony contractors the tender masked as repair works.